Massachusetts Institute of Technology robots to help Severn Trent fix leaks

Water company Severn Trent is working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop a robot that is placed inside pipes to detect leaks.

Liv Garfield, chief executive of Severn Trent, said that technology could help water companies deal with shortages and detect leaks.

The Environment Agency has warned that England is facing water shortages by 2050 unless rapid action is taken to reduce water use.

“Population growth and climate change are our big challenges. We need to educate the next generation to be more careful with this resource,” Garfield said.

Severn Trent missed its leakage target for the first time in seven years in 2017, after March’s big freeze caused many burst pipes, resulting in a £29 million penalty.

Garfield, who won the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award this month, acknowledge that Severn Trent could be ejected from the FTSE 100 but said it would not affect the investor base of the group.

Severn Trent said annual reported profits fell by 1.5% to £528 million due to higher biorescources costs.